The Wisconsin General Assembly wrapped up voting for the year, but it left some critical legislation off the table: Erin’s Law. This was a critical mistake and should be passed as soon as possible come 2026.
“Erin’s Law” is a mandate that would require all public schools in the state to teach their students the signs of grooming and sexual abuse. The curriculum includes what students should do if they see those signs in themselves or their peers. This legislation is more critical than ever right now. Currently, 25% of girls and 17% of boys have been sexually abused before their 18th birthday nationwide. But this curriculum seeks to inform kids how to understand the world around them and how to remove themselves from unsafe situations.
Wisconsin already has something similar with 1985 Act 213. In 1985, a law was passed that required schools to teach students protective behaviors against sexual abuse and violence up until the fifth grade. The goals of this preventative action were, and still are, to lower the rate of sexual violence towards children. The expansion of this curriculum through Erin’s Law is essential to the safety of others.
Erin’s Law differs in that it would implement an hour-long teaching program once a year. Erin Merryn, the namesake and author of the law, currently has bipartisan support in the State Assembly for her legislation, but the Senate will prove more challenging.
In the overwhelming majority of cases (90%), the perpetrator of this assault is someone these children know and trust, with the median reported age of this abuse being just 9 years old. An estimated 42 million people have suffered childhood sexual abuse nationwide.
This is an epidemic. Marquette’s current undergraduate student body, as of the 2025 fall semester, is made up of 8,206 people, 55% of which are women. It is more likely than not that every Marquette undergraduate student knows someone who is a victim of sexual violence.
States in which Erin’s Law has passed have seen, for the most part, an increase in reported childhood sexual abuse cases and a decrease in childhood sexual abuse, strongly suggesting that it’s beneficial. Illinois was the first state to introduce it in 2011. Since then, 36 other states have followed suit.
Lawmakers in Wisconsin have been holding off on passing this bill for years, one of just 12 to have not passed some version of Erin’s Law. Merryn herself reports spending a decade alone trying to lobby for this legislation.
One of the limitations to the specific bill being proposed to the Wisconsin Senate is an exclusion of private schools. That exception was a point of contention for the bill’s supporters in the state House of Representatives, who felt that it was inefficient. While would be most beneficial for this legislation to be applicable to all schools in the state, getting the law passed seems to be the priority for representatives.Â
Here, it seems like the rights of the private school are coming before the safety and security of children. Roughly 15% of children in Wisconsin attend private schools; these kids deserve the same protections. All kids deserve the same knowledge to arm themselves against the threat of sexual violence regardless of what school they attend.
Wisconsin currently ranks 20th in the country for the most sexual violence, with 87 reported incidents per 100,000 people. Over 60% of these cases involved children. In terms of the rape of a child specifically, Wisconsin ranks third, with 44 incidents per 100,000.
These are real people who have had their lives permanently altered. We need to raise the question of how those assaults could have been prevented. If Erin’s Law can prevent even one child from being assaulted, it should be passed.
Erin’s Law is a needed addition to the Wisconsin state school curriculum. With how highly the state ranks in sexual violence towards children, something needs to change. We must urge lawmakers to discuss this issue first. To ensure that the curriculum and resources can be properly allocated towards schools by the 2026-2027 school year, Erin’s Law needs to be passed in Wisconsin.
This article was written by Lexi Childers. She can be reached at [email protected].
